Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DEBTS. State prison, had been captured in the lonely shack in Robinson’s swamp. A day or two later the fugitive was again thrust behind the walls of the big jail. The topic of Philip Buckley was dis- cussed very little in the family of Daniel Rodd. The affair cast gloom over the household. The father and his son, Abram, began to watch each other furtively. Dark suspicion was in the father’s heart, and fear in the son’s. Two weeks after Philip Buckley was captured Abram Rodd got a letter. From ‘the envelope he extracted a check for two hundred dollars. The check bore the great . - seal of the State. He laid it before Daniel Redd. “© What’s that?” the father asked. ‘< That,” replied the boy, “ is the money we spent on the petition for Phil Buckley’s ,@ “¢ Where ’d it come from?” " T got itas a reward for the capture a _6 couldn’t live long, and was worried because Phil Buckley.” _ Daniel Rodd inquired im an icy voice: did you squeal on Phil Buckley?” “Yes,” the boy answered frankly. His _ woi¢e faltered and then grew strong. He went on steadily: “I went to town and - told the officers where he was. I got Frank Dunning in on it, because I knew he was a friend and would see to it I got the reward. I didn’t tell the o about Phil Buckley coming here. Nobody but Lo . 465 us knows that we helped him. I told them that he was on his way here, and that I met him in the road. Then I said I took him to the shack, where I knew he’d stay till I could get the officers. They ain’t suspicious at all.” The father’s face was stern, though tinged with sorrow. He announced, evenly: ‘“‘ Abram, you ain’t no son of mine. Take that money and get out of the house.” The boy stepped to his mother’s side and calmed her. . “Wait, father,” said he, “ till you hear it all. Phil Buckley asked me to do it. He said it was the only way he could pay the money back to you. When he itirst escaped he wanted to get as far away as he could, but suddenly he realized that he hadn’t long» to live. The prison doctor had told him that. The fear of capture. tormented him so he couldn’t sleep, and he decided to go "back. “ Then Jhe thought of you. He knew he you'd spent all that money on him. He figured out that scheme to pay you back ——and there’s the money. “I didn’t want to do it,” Abram added, “but he wouldn’t have it any other way; said he’d surrender to the officers if I didn’t do “what he wanted. He’d rather be in prison, sick like he is, than be out with the whole State chasing him. And he wanted to pay his deb . Le) U A WOMAN'S CHOICE | BY BLANCHE TRENNOR HEATH . J IFE brought two blossoms for her choosing —one A fair white lily fresh with morning dew; - And one a rése nurtured in fuller sun, Fiery of scent and hue. “ The lity choose,” said Life, ‘ and like a dream Thy days shall glide beneath a peaceful spell; But choose the rose, thou shalt have pain supreme And bliss no tongue can tell!” The lily or the rose? Ah, must she miss _ Passion or peace? Sighing, she raised her And took from Life love’s flower of pain and bliss, 12 A | Digitized by Go ogle “ Give me the rose!” she said. f = - OHIO STATE UN spi KO mh G 6)(0)) SS CO